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Thursday, May 6, 2010

One of the few things I've not decided for my wedding, is the wedding favors. We both have GIGANTIC families Jim and I, so we're not sure just how much of what we'll need of each... But i have had a few ideas I'd like to share, that i thought were simply awesome. (I'll divide them into parts to make them a bit easier...)

===========================Eatable Gifts===========================

One of the easiest (by FAR) things to do, is to gift out EDIBLE wedding favors. They're cute and adorable, they can be personal, and in the end, it never ends up on a shelf somewhere covered in dust or stuck in the attic to be forgotten!

Here's a few ideas I've found i thought were worthy:

Hot Chocolate Pods are a wonderful idea for a winter or autumn wedding (in my opinion!) You simply drop these gorgeous things into a big pot of steaming milk, and you've got yourself some awesome Hot Chocolatey goodness!

The possibilities to customize these to fit your wedding are endless! You could use color-coded sprinkles and marshmallows, or even mix it up to include the flavors from your wedding cake (Cinnamon and spice, French Vanilla, mmmm dark chocolate!) all kinds of flavors can be achieved with simple tools found in your own grocery store. Cheap? Eh, maybe. Depending on what you put in them. Personal? Very.

Homemade Marshmallows -- using either Cookie-Cutters or the simple Sliced-Squares method, will always make your wedding favors have a personal feel! Again, these can be colored to match, and even flavored!

There are hundreds, if not thousands of cookie-cutter designs out there that can be bought for just a few bucks. I myself have quite a repitoire of them myself. however something tells me Harry Potter glasses and Christmas trees wouldn't work too well for my own wedding o.O

Another seriously popular trend has been "Candy Bars" where your guests can go straight up to a gigantic table of sweets and confections, and fill their own bags -- This would make things SO much easier if you have people who have allergies to certain foods, so that they can be sure to avoid say the peanut m&m's, or the Almond Joys.

I myself -- having an October wedding -- would prefer to have things a little more halloween-themed if i were to have a candy bar. Something maybe like Rock candy, Candy Corn Cookies, or definitely these mini-Caramel Apples! But again, make it special to you! Use you and your hubby's favorite candy, or if you're creative and crafty, MAKE it. (but be sure to try it out a few weeks BEFORE the wedding to make sure you like it, so you're not stuck with vomit-worthy hard-candy on the big day o.o)

Other ideas could work just as well if you're looking for something eatable and special. Local Jams, Jellies, Beer, Syrup, ANYTHING can be a gift. Especially if you're an awkward bride and want your day to be memorable, and not have everything being bought out of a party-favors magazine.

===========================Useables===========================

A lot of common gifts to give people are of course things they can use IN the wedding. (Bells, Glitter, Colored rice, etc.) Honestly? I think this is cruel punishment. The person comes to your wedding -- probably drives hundreds of miles to be there, and all they get is a free meal and a hug? Psh. Maybe it's just me, but my family expects something in return for their love and commitment. (okay, not all of them but some of them do! lol) And i'd like to repay them with something they can use not only IN the wedding, but OUT of the wedding as well! It took some looking.. but i think i found some worthy gifts.

These were an adorable find on one of my favorite bride websites -- Offbeatbride.com and i think they're perfect for somebody eccentric enough to do it! Basically? go out to your local goodwill, or thrift store, and buy as many variated coffee and tea cups as you can find (the prettier the better i think...) and then sit down with a sticker-maker, or an engraver, or heck just paint and a thin-point brush (or pen!) and personalize them! Write down people's names, nicknames, "aunt, uncle, mom" etc. -- makes for a perfect "Mad Hatter" theme as well. (which i would totally do if i didn't have family that would probably pass out o.O)And of course, when you're done serving your coffee or tea (or even punch) in their personal cups, they can take them home and enjoy them!

Another unique idea (one that i will probably use if we go the Asian-themed route....) is to hand out Oriental folding fans. (These can be found pretty much anywhere and can be personalized or not. Plastic or wooden, plain or designed, again the possibilities are endless!) These are especially useful in a Summer or Spring wedding (or a destination wedding) and can be used to fan your guests and keep them cool -- and then they can take them home and smack their kids in the backseat on the loooooooong drive home! :-D er.. i mean, fan themselves on hot summer days.. >.> yeah. that's it...

One of the things i SO want to do at my own wedding, is to give out kiddie bags for the little ones at the wedding so they won't get bored waiting on all the vows to be exchanged and all the other crap they're not interested in. So why not give them something they can USE? That's right, bubbles, Play-doh, you know, quiet dollar-store items you can dress up to entertain the little ones -- and your friends and relatives who will totally want to play with them even though they insist they're "childish". hehe. -- I probably would suggest the water colors though o.O The kids will end up sticking their paintbrushes in Aunt Rosy's wine glass and nobody wants to taste purple. No matter how much you think you do, trust me o.O you don't.

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Well for today, that's all i've got on Wedding favors. You'll get spammed some more i promise, haha. This is definately not the last you've heard from me.